Collapsible tube and container for the same



a; 5. 0,. STAFFORD. COLLAPSIBLE TUBE AND CONTAIN APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, l9l9- RE E8 FOR THE SA E. NEWED MAY 3,192!- l,382, 1 Patented'June 21,-1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs.

BENJAMIN D. STAFFORD, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE AND CONTAINER FOR THE SAME.

Application filed August 1, 1919, Serial 110.314,?37, Renewed May 3, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN E. D. STAF- FORD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Tubes and Containers for the Same; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in a collapsible tube and a container for the same.

Many toilet and medical preparations are put up and sold in tubes which are made of a flexible sheet material and are compressed to eject the contents from a nozzle provided thereon, and containers have been provided for holding the tube, the contents of the tubes being ejected byturning a slot ted key applied to the end of. the compressible tube. In all instances however, of which I am aware, the containers have been designed to receive the ordinary flexible tube of commerce and in no instance. has the collapsible tube formed a part of the container.

My invention therefore consists in a collapsible tube, the head of which constitutes the head of a container adapted to cover and protect the collapsible tube. It further 'consists in a collapsible tube the head of which constitutes the head of a container adapted to cover and protect the collapsible tube, the container having one or more finger slots through which a finger or fingers may be inserted for ejecting the contents of the tube.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal section of my imaroved collapsible tube before it is filled; l ig. 2 is a similar view of the container; Fig. 3 is a view of the two parts assembled; Fig. 4; is an enlarged view in section of the nozzle of the tube and its cap; Fig. 5 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of a modification and Fig. 6 shows the preferred manner of closing and sealing the open or rear end of the collapsible tube.

10 represents the collapsible tube cylindrical in shape and open at its rear end for filling. After the tube has been filled with the paste or other preparation the end is closed and folded and the folded end crimped as shown in Fig. 6, the crimping operating to not only shorten up the flattened end Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 21 Serial No. 466,537.

formed by closing and folding the open end of the cylinder, but also to strengthen the.

a peripheral rib 12, preferably milled or roughened on its outer face, which rib not only braces and stifi'ens the head but also enables the head to be readily grasped and held while attaching and detaching the container.

The head 11 is also provided centrally with the outwardly projecting threaded nozzle 13 closed by a screw cap 14, the end of the nozzle being beveled and adapted to bear against a similarly shaped seat within the cap 14, as shown in Fig. 4 for forming a closure that will be air tight and secure against any leakage. V The end of the collapsible tube at its junc tion with the head is also thickened and provided externally with screw threads 15 for the attachment of the container 16, which latter is preferably cylindrical in form and of a size to receive the tube 10. It is threaded internally at its upper end to engage the threads 15 at the outer end of the tube, and

also preferably threaded internally at its lower end for the attachment of the baseor end closure 17. This base or end closure may however be formed integral with the container 16 as shown in Fig. 5. The container is provided with one or more finger slots 18, through which a finger or fingers may be inserted to engage the tube for compressing the same to eject its contents.

In the present instance I have shown two curved slots to receive the ends of the fingers of the hand holding the container, but it is apparent that the slots may be straight, or I may use only one.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 I have shown the base or closure 17 of the container integral with the latter and have also shown the container connected to the head by a bayonet joint 19, the'contacting surfaces of the thickened outer end o-fthe tube 10 and the outer end of the container being beveled so that they will make an air tight fit when drawn together by the bayonet'joint.

With these constructions the tubes 10 may be filled and sold like the ordinary tubes invention.

now in common use to be used with the container purchased separately or given away with two or more tubes of the paste or other preparation, or they maybe applied to the tubes and sold with them.

Again the tube is complete in itself, and may be used without the container. The latter however forms an ornamental cover for the tube and protects the latter against accidental rupture due to excessive pressure to I which the tube is subjected when grasped" by the hand and compressed.

It is evident that many slight changes might be resorted to in the relative arrangement of parts shown and described without departing from the spirit and scope of my Hence I" would have it understood that I do not wish to confine myself to" the exact construction and arrangement.

attachment theretoof a container or cover for the tube.

3. The combination of a collapsible tube terminating at one end in a head having a discharge nozzle, and a container open at one end detachably. secured to the periphery of said head and provided with a finger slot whereby the contents of the collapsible tube may be ejected by direct pressure of a finger against the same.

4. The combination of a collapsible tube terminating at one end-in an integral head provided with a centrally located discharge nozzle, and also provided at its periphery with means for the removable attachment of a container, the opposite end of said tube being flattened, folded and crimped for closing the same, and a container having an open end'adapted to receive said head andbe detachably secured to the periphery of the lat-' ter whereby the container forms a housing for the body of the collapsible tube, the said containerbeing provided with a finger slot whereby the contents of the tube may be ejected through the nozzle in the head by direct pressure of a finger against the tube.

5. The combination of a collapsible tube having an integral head provided with a centrally located discharge nozzle and also provided at its periphery with means for the removable attachment of a container and a container open at one end to receive the body of the tube and provided at said open end with means for attachment to the head of the tube, the said container having .a finger slot therein whereby the contents of the tube may be ejected through the nozzle in the head by direct pressure of a finger against the tube.

6. The combination of a. collapsible tube terminating in a head having a centrally located dischargenozzle, and a container hav ing a finger slot at its side and open at one end to receive the body of the tube, the said open end of the container being closed by the head of the tube to which the container is detachably secured.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN E. D. STAFFORD.

Witnesses:

C. A. BLANGHARD, HARRY M. WILLIs. 

